(809875) 2020 BX12
2020 BX12 and its satellite imaged by the Arecibo Observatory in February 2020 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | ATLAS-MLO |
| Discovery site | Mauna Loa Obs. |
| Discovery date | 27 January 2020 |
| Designations | |
| 2020 BX12 | |
| A10jUnf | |
| Apollo · PHA · NEO | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 6.09 yr (2,224 days) |
| Earliest precovery date | 5 January 2014 |
| Aphelion | 2.4437 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.7570 AU |
| 1.6004 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.75704 |
| 2.02 yr (739.5 d) | |
| 34.442° | |
| 0° 29m 12.545s / day | |
| Inclination | 40.067° |
| 132.904° | |
| 70.492° | |
| Known satellites | 1 |
| Earth MOID | 0.002061 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 205±65 m | |
| Mass | 7×108 to 3×1010 kg (system) |
| 2.5±0.5 h | |
| 0.3 (assumed for S-type asteroids) | |
| Q or Sq | |
| 20.631±0.396 | |
(809875) 2020 BX12 (or simply 2020 BX12) is a sub-kilometer binary asteroid, classified as a near-Earth asteroid and potentially hazardous object of the Apollo group. It was discovered on 27 January 2020 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System survey at the Mauna Loa Observatory during its approach to Earth of 0.02915 AU (4.361 million km; 11.34 LD). The Arecibo Observatory took radar images of 2020 BX12 on 4 February 2020, which led to the discovery of a small natural satellite orbiting 360 m (1,180 ft) away from the asteroid. With a diameter of around 200 m (660 ft), 2020 BX12 is among the smallest 10% of known binary asteroids. It was the last binary asteroid discovered by the Arecibo Observatory.